


Beginning

by Augustus



Category: Sweet Valley High - Francine Pascal
Genre: F/F, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-10-31
Updated: 2005-10-31
Packaged: 2018-08-16 08:23:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8094973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Augustus/pseuds/Augustus
Summary: Marianna was never interested in Ned Wakefield.





	

Once everyone had finished eating, Elizabeth cleared the remains of the meal from the table, waving off Tricia's offer to help with a thankful smile and a pointed look at Jessica. Normally, a mere look would have had little effect on her twin, but Jessica had been nothing but sunshine and smiles since their father had made his announcement.

"I'll help you, Lizzie," she said immediately, jumping up from her seat and gathering the salt and pepper grinders from the centre of the table.

Making the most of a rare show of helpfulness from her sister, Elizabeth busied herself with filling the kitchen sink and adding detergent, leaving the rest of the dishes for Jessica to clear. 

"Thank goodness we were wrong about Dad and Ms West," she said as a pile of plates was placed beside the sink. "I feel about a thousand pounds lighter now, don't you?"

"I can't say that I do."

It wasn't Jessica's voice. Mortified, Elizabeth turned from the sink, only to find herself looking directly into the bemused face of Marianna West.

"I am _so_ sorry." Elizabeth could feel her cheeks turning red, and it wasn't from the heat of the dishwater she'd been bent over a moment earlier. Of all the silly, thoughtless things to say, she berated herself. "I thought you were Jessica."

"Afraid not." Marianna smiled, but her eyes were curious. Picking up a tea towel, she gestured for Elizabeth to continue washing. "What were you wrong about, if you don't mind me asking? And please—call me Marianna."

"I shouldn't have said anything," Elizabeth mumbled, keeping her gaze very firmly fixed on the plate she was washing.

"But you did." Marianna's voice reminded Elizabeth a lot of how it had sounded in court earlier that day. "If you'd prefer not to say anything, then it's up to you, Elizabeth. I suppose, from everything your father has told me about you, I had just expected a little more from you than idle gossip."

Elizabeth frowned. Marianna was right. She had allowed herself to be swept away by Jessica's suspicions, something that would never have happened if Elizabeth hadn't been so distracted by her feelings for Todd.

"I'm sorry," she said, forcing herself to meet Marianna's gaze. "I don't have an excuse for thinking what I did, unless my sister's overactive imagination counts."

Marianna laughed lightly. "It wouldn't be accepted in a court of law, but I think _I_ can let it slide."

"I really _am_ sorry," Elizabeth repeated, finishing with the plate and passing it to Marianna. "I should know better than to let myself get caught up in Jessica's flights of fantasy. More to the point, I should have known that Dad would never do a thing like that."

Marianna raised one perfectly shaped eyebrow. "Should I be offended?"

Elizabeth blushed again. She was really having a bad night when it came to speaking without due thought. "I didn't mean it that," she said quickly. "You're beautiful, but Dad's about the most honourable man you'll ever meet."

"Thank you, Elizabeth." Marianna really _was_ beautiful when she smiled. Even with a tea towel in one hand and her hair tucked behind her ears, she managed to retain an air of elegance. "Your father's been a great help to me over the past few weeks, but I can assure you that there's nothing going on between us. He's a little old for me, don't you think?"

"But you're divorced," Elizabeth pointed out.

"That automatically makes me a hundred years old, I suppose," Marianna replied, obviously amused. "I know it must seem like it at your age, but I'm actually not _that_ much older than you are. Far too young to be setting my sights on a man of your father's age, in any case. Besides..." Her smile grew a little mischievous. "He's really not my type."

"But Dad's so handsome!" Elizabeth protested. "I would have thought he'd be any woman's type."

Marianna watched Elizabeth closely for a moment before speaking again. "Let's just say that I'd be more inclined to have an affair with _you_."

"But I'm a _girl_ ," Elizabeth said stupidly, staring at Marianna. "And you were _married_."

"We all make our mistakes," was her simple response. 

Elizabeth found herself quite unable to meet Marianna's eyes. With the woman's revelation, her beauty had somehow become more pointed and harder to ignore. For the first time in Elizabeth's sixteen years, it felt like the path in front of her was not completely straight. Even as she tried to grasp it in her mind, it bent into twists and loops, folding almost double and curling out of sight. 

Distracted, Elizabeth barely noticed when the bowl in her hands dropped into the sink, sending a splash of water and suds over the sides.

"Oh goodness, I'm such a fool." Marianna leant towards her, taking one of Elizabeth's wet hands into her own. "I didn't mean that as some kind of tacky come-on, Elizabeth. You're lovely, really you are, but you're only sixteen. I came in here to ask you how your article for the Oracle turned out, not to seduce you."

The touch of Marianna's hand on her own was doing peculiar things to the base of Elizabeth's chest, things that she'd previously only experienced when Todd was around. Giggling nervously, she pulled her fingers from Marianna's grasp, disguising the gesture by picking the dropped bowl out of the water. "I didn't think that at all," she lied.

"I'm glad," Marianna replied, but the air in the kitchen had gained a tension that Elizabeth was sure they both could feel. 

"You should join my parents in the living room." Elizabeth pointedly placed the bowl in the dish drainer, instead of simply handing it to Marianna. "You're our guest; Jessica can finish drying those."

"If you're sure."

"Positive," Elizabeth said firmly, anxious to be alone.

Marianna nodded, then left the room. Finally able to breathe freely again, Elizabeth slumped against the sink, staring into the sudsy water as she slowly churned the bubbles with one hand. For the first time in weeks, Todd had completely vanished from her mind, but she was far too distracted to care.


End file.
